Extraction Team
by BereniceAndrea
Summary: After the events of CATWS, after SHIELD's intel goes viral, Natasha does the impossible to extract Clint from his mission.
1. Chapter 1

**DICLAIMER: Not mine. I wish they were.**

Right after the helicarriers went down, right after SHIELD's lifetime of intel was trending topic on twitter and once she made sure Steve was safe in a hospital bed (Sam was with him), she had checked herself in a seedy motel in DC, over some plans and case files she was studying, her burner phone rang to the sound of AC/DC.

She rolled her eyes and picked up with a smirk plastered on her face.

'Stark' she greeted.

'Romanoff' Tony Stark replied on the other end of the line. 'How come you don't even sound a bit surprised?' he inquired.

'I was kind of expecting your call. And the theme song is getting old' she heard him laugh.

'You're not even curious about how I got your number?' he just wanted to brag.

'If I didn't believe you were capable then I would' she said coldly.

'Was that a compliment, Agent Romanoff?' she smirked.

'Don't kid yourself. And it's not agent anymore. In case you haven't heard, SHIELD went down with the helicarriers'. Now she was playing him, though he could hear sadness in her voice.

'Yeah, that made for a very interesting read. Your file was particularly long.' She froze. He had read it. Of course he had read it, everybody had by now. Yet, Tony Stark still had called.

She automatically gazed at the door of her motel room and moved farther away from the windows. He broke the silence like nothing had happened.

'I rebuilt the tower. I want you to come live here' he caught her off guard.

'I thought you were gonna offer me a job'

'Yeah, that too. I'm trying to make the Avengers Initiative a full time thing, especially now that SHIELD's gone down the toilet. Someone has to keep the world safe. Why not us?'

she smiled on her end. 'I know you are' now it was his turn to be surprised. Sometimes he forgot she wasn't just a spy, she was the best there is.

'How do you…? You know what, don't tell me. So what do you say? I've already got the Doc and Boy Thunder here…'

'I didn't know Banner was staying there' she frowned, thinking.

'But you knew about the Asgardian god?'

she smirked again. 'Thor doesn't exactly make a subtly entry.'

'Point made' Stark answered.

He gave her a few seconds to think about it. She went back to the table, where her files were spread and picked up a piece of paper with an address. She stared at it, blankly.

'You won't find Steve' she said finally. He was trying to gather all six of them.

'Oh?' Tony simply said.

'He's got a mission of his own' she mildly explained.

'Anything we can help with?'

She smirked. 'Stark, is that worry I detect over Captain America?'

'Please' he offered. He waited another second. 'I'm not going to beg, Natasha, so what do you say?'

She looked at the files she was studying again.

'It's not like you've got many places left to go' he made a good point and she knew it.

'Fine' she answered, and after a second she added 'but I need a favor first.'

Tony Stark was smiling to his phone when Pepper walked into the Tower. He gave her a quick kiss and Pepper frowned at the device on his ear. 'Romanoff' he mouthed and Pepper nodded in agreement. She hadn't seen Natasha –Natalie- since she had worked at Stark Industries while undercover all those years ago. She had learned her identity as soon as she was gone (Tony had filled her in). But she had read a few things herself about the redhead online. Tony had read her entire file, but Pepper couldn't take it. Some things she didn't want to know. She was taken aback from her thoughts by Tony, answering to Natasha on the phone. 'Sure, what do you need?'

Natasha didn't waste a second before answering this time, a plan already in her brain. 'A chopper. And bring your toys, I might need you.' and she hung up. She grabbed the duffle bag from under the bed and put the few belongings she had in it, and above those she threw the files.

She was in the parking lot of the shitty motel 25 minutes later, when a Stark Industries chopper came down from the air to pick her up, millionaire at the wheel. She got in and threw the bag under the seat. 'You're late' she gave him a death glare.

'By five minutes! That's like 20 minutes early in me time!' She suppressed the smile.

'So, where are we going?' he asked, looking subtly at something sitting on her collarbone through his expensive pair of sunglasses. She noticed, but didn't say a thing.

'Ohio' she answered flatly.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: Still not mine. Sorry if it sucks, it was early.**

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><p>'Hawkeye?' Natasha wasn't sure whether he was referring to the state she had just mention or the necklace he was staring at, but she nodded.<p>

A whole minute passed. Tony could sense guilt on her eyes. That is, if Natasha Romanoff did guilt. He wasn't sure. 'So we're the extraction team' he understood.

He put the chopper in motion. 'Doesn't SHIELD handle that? Extractions I mean'

She looked at him even though he was looking straight ahead. 'Clint and I never have extraction teams'. She stared at her lap. 'We don't usually need them. We manage'. That was all she offered.

'What's your deal with Barton anyway?' he asked, curious as ever.

She glanced over at him. 'He's my partner'

Stark smirked. She didn't wanna talk about it but she had asked him for a favor. He was going to push it. 'Just partners?' he demanded.

Natasha looked away.

He was loving this. 'You know, people think I don't notice things. I do, actually. And I couldn't help but notice that pretty little necklace you're wearing…' her hand reached the necklace in question. 'What is that, an arrow?'

She looked at him for a few seconds and then stared through the window. He was smiling. She didn't reply and they didn't touch the subject again.

As soon as Stark put the chopper on the ground, Natasha could sense there was something wrong. She had studied the files; she knew his last location and had studied the city maps. Natasha could anticipate Clint's moves, that's how they worked. Fear suddenly invaded her. Stark opened his mouth to ask something but he never got the chance. The first shot hit the chopper, next to where Natasha was standing and they both took cover. They didn't waste any time. Stark suited up in an instant and Natasha was already shooting back. Three of the four guys attacking them where bleeding on the floor while the fourth guy run. Stark put his hand up to fire when suddenly she stopped him.

'Let's follow him. He might lead us to Clint'. He nodded. She went by foot as he flew.

They found the guy getting inside an empty warehouse. They met outside again, trying to assess how many there were when they heard a gunshot followed by a scream. She could recognize Clint's voice anywhere. There was nothing left to say, she run inside.

Then all hell broke loose. She wasn't even counting how many guys she'd shot and she didn't care; she just followed the path of hostile guns, figuring that's where they were keeping her partner. She got to the door and Stark kicked it opened. They took out the last two guys inside the room as she run to the human figure that was Hawkeye, laying on the floor in a pool of blood.

'Clint!' she screamed as she run, bending down next to him. She scanned him quickly: badly bruise, knocked out, cuts everywhere and a gunshot wound in his stomach, but he was still breathing. Barely. She used both hands to apply pressure to his wound. 'Clint, wake up'. Nothing.

Outside, Stark started shooting again. She could hear talking and guns. Stark yelled at her 'We've got company'. She nodded. 'Clint' she shook him a little. He opened his eyes slowly. 'Tasha?' She smiled. 'Come on, let's get you out. Can you stand?' Clint tried to obey, but he couldn't. He lacked the strength. 'Keep pressure on there' she pointed at his wound. They stood and all of his weight was on her. He was dozing off and it was dangerous. She needed to keep him talking. 'Clint' she repeated. 'Stark! Could use some help' she yelled in his direction once it was clear she could not take all of Clint's weight and walk out.

Stark reached them and put Clint's arm on his back, mirroring Natasha. They started walking like that. 'Clint, you need to stay awake, ok? Talk to me' She was looking at him. She had him by the waist with one hand and she used the other to apply extra pressure to his still bleeding wound. 'Tasha…' he managed. 'I was just thinking about you' she smiled. Stark felt a little uncomfortable, like an unwanted viewer of a very intimate moment. 'How did you…?' Clint started coughing. 'Hey, hey, I've got you' she said.

They were already out of the warehouse and getting to the chopper. Out of the corner of her eye, Natasha noticed movement, but both her hands were busy and Stark didn't notice. She was expecting the shot when it came, shielding Clint with her own body.

Stark took the last shooter out in an instant. 'Romanoff!' he screamed. 'I'm fine, it's just the shoulder. Let's go.' He breathed again. They managed to get Clint on the chopper. 'Buckle up' Tony said, expecting her not to leave Clint's side. She didn't, just tied herself next to him and continued to trying to keep her partner from dying.

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><p>When they got to the Tower, a medical team was ready and waiting. Tony had made a few calls on the flight back and the Tower already had a medical and surgical wing, he only got the staff and filled them on Barton's condition. They rushed him inside and the doctors took him away, as they followed to an adjoining room that was separated by a glass window.<p>

They were met by Pepper and Bruce, who rushed over next to them. 'Oh my god, what happened?' Pepper hugged Tony, choking tears. 'I'm fine, Pep, it's not even my blood' he hugged her back. Bruce stood next to Natasha and noticed she was an extra shade of pale and her shoulder was bleeding a lot. 'Natasha, you're bleeding'

'I'm fine' she whispered, not moving her eyes from where they were working on Clint.

'You need to get that checked out' he pointed. Bruce signaled another doctor, who made the mistake to try taking her away from there. She brushed him off, using all of her strength, and stared at Bruce 'I'm not leaving' she returned her eyes to Clint, a single tear on her cheek.

Tony noticed this and became well aware that Natasha's actions not an hour before were not her usual grounded self. She literally threw her body to protect Clint's by getting shot herself. He had witness an exchange of words between the two that somehow had made him, of all people, feel an unwanted third wheel. There was an unmistakable deeper bond between the two assassins neither of them could understand. He asked the doctor for a clean towel and gave it to Natasha.

'Put pressure on it and you can get it check out once he's clear' he said pointing her head at the glass window. She nodded in agreement, so nobody said another word.

An hour later, Clint was resting in a medical bed in a quiet but nice room. He was still unconscious, and Natasha was in a chair next to him, her hand over his. She was exhausted, starving, and in pain, but she needed him to wake up first. She needed to know he was going to be fine. She didn't even notice when Bruce walked in. He had a plate and a medical kit with him.

'Hey' he entered the room and pulled a chair next to her. He noticed her hand over Clint's and smiled a little. Natasha didn't even look at him. 'Hey doc' she sounded like she was about to pass out. 'Mind if I check your wound now? Just clean it and stitch it?' Tony had vaguely explained what had happened since the phone call. He understood.

She nodded slightly and turned towards him, her hand never leaving Clint's. Bruce started working on her wound in silence and even though Natasha never complained, he could see the pain on her face, so he tried to keep her head off it. 'He's going to be alright, you know?' she didn't answer. 'Natasha, Tony told me what happened. You saved his life.' She clenched her jaw suppressing the pain. 'Is this the first time…?' he looked at Clint.

Natasha laughed, actually laughed and Bruce thought that was probably the first time she did since SHIELD went down. 'That he's in a hospital bed? Unconscious? Almost bled to death?' she finished his sentences. 'No, not by a long shot, doc.'

He nodded. Well, they were SHIELD's best team; of course almost bleeding to death was part of the job description. Bruce felt a sudden way of respect towards both of them. He also felt sorry. It wasn't a job he envied.

'But he's never been left to die alone, without backup' she added. 'I should have been there'.

Bruce threaded the needle to close her wound. 'You were there'. She looked at him. 'Hey, you got him out' she looked back at Clint and nodded.

By the time Bruce was finishing, Clint's eyes slowly opened. Natasha's eyes were closed as Banner sew her shoulder. 'Tasha?' Clint's voice gave her a wave of relief and couldn't help but smile. 'Hey, you' her smile grew wider. Bruce smiled at Clint too. 'What happened to you?' of course he was gonna ask about her. He had been shot and left to die and he was asking about her shoulder. 'Nothing, it's just a scratch, don't worry about it'. He studied her face for a minute and saw a tear in her eye. 'You look like crap' he said and it made her laugh. 'Have you looked in the mirror?' she asked, suppressing a smile. He smiled too and stretched his hand to touch her face. She closed her eyes at his touch and he left his hand on her cheek.

Bruce was done a minute later and left to give them intimacy. 'Why was Banner fixing your shoulder?' Clint asked. 'Stitches re opened' she got up and sat on his bed next to him. She brushed his hair with her hands. 'What do you mean, reopened? Since when do you have a scar on your…'

He never finished the question as Natasha's lips crashed onto his. The tenderness of the kiss spoke volumes. Finally, they gasped for air. 'I missed you' was all he said. She smiled. 'I missed you too, Clint'.


End file.
